Daytona Beach Restaurant Review – DBNJ – Tony’s N.Y. Pizza

Yes, this is one of my favorite on-line columns and I pay close attention to this from home , as I am always on the lookout for a new and exciting place to hang out….. to catch this column yourself, I whole heartedly recommend

Tony’s N.Y. Pizza
Pizza place offers so much more
Fine Arts Writer Laura Stewart and her artist friend Margaret Hodge tried lunch at Tony’s N.Y. Pizza, and plan to add it to their foodie-favorite list. Put it this way: owner and chef Johnny Kadriu, an Albanian native whose ancestors lived in Calabria, Italy, specializes in much more than outstanding pizza.

Q. What was your impression of the place?
Named for chef Johnny’s father, also a restaurateur, Tony’s features high ceilings, old-brick walls and a genuine vintage atmosphere. Some customers dine at tables, while others phone their orders in and pick them up at the central station. Service is quick and friendly, tables are in windows and along the walls, and the kitchen — with its abundant savory aromas — is open to the dining areas.

Q. Is pizza the main item?
For a place called N.Y. Pizza, Tony’s is a wonderful surprise. Sure, the menu features pizzas ranging from the traditional cheese ($5.99 for the 10-inch small) to the ultimate stuffed model ($22 for a 16-incher with ham, salami, provolone, pepperoni, mozzarella, onions and green peppers). But there are also such specialty pizzas as the Bianca ($11.99 for a 16-incher with ricotta, mozzarella and garlic) and the “bruschetta” ($16.99 for the large, with chopped tomatoes, garlic and olive oil).

Q. What else can you order?
Along with antipasto ($6.99 for large), Greek ($6.99) and chef salads include fresh mozzarella and tomato ($6.99). Hot and cold subs range from meatball Parmigiana ($4.99) to veal Parmigiana ($6.99), while custom pasta dishes include simple marinara ($6.25) and an incredible fettuccine Alfredo ($8.50) that can be accessorized with shrimp ($11.99) or broccoli and chicken ($10.50). Other special dishes are the eggplant rollentini ($9.50, with cheeses and spinach) and chicken Capri ($10.99, with eggplant, mushrooms and marsala sauce). Baked entrees are traditional, from lasagna ($8.99) to Tony’s N.Y. combo ($10.99 for manicotti, stuffed shells and lasagna).

Q. Can you get drinks and dessert at Tony’s?
Besides the usual soft drinks, there are draft and bottled beers ($1.75) as well as wine by the glass ($2.50). Desserts include New York cheesecake ($2.99), tiramisu ($3.25) and to-die-for cannoli, handmade at Tony’s ($2.50). There’s a children’s menu ($3.99 to $4.25), a vast selection of optional pizza toppings (among them anchovies, banana peppers and black olives) and special calzones and stromboli ($4.99 for personal size, $11.99 for the loaded family-sized stromboli).

Q. What did you eat?
We ordered the shrimp Alfredo with fettucini ($11.99) and the lasagna ($8.99), but ended up sharing the entrees so we could both enjoy the fresh, rich flavors. One of us had a glass of Burgundy, which was pleasant but not memorable, and the other had diet coke ($1.50), and even though we shared one cannoli ($2.50), there was cookie and sweet filling on the plate when we rolled out of Tony’s.

Q. How much was lunch?
Our bill came to $26.61, and we left a generous tip — the prices here are so reasonable, the quality is so high and the serving sizes are so large that we had enough for dinner, too.